[How should we manage chemical substances in living environments]

Recent major advances in science and technology have Introduced a large number of synthetic chemical substances to our societies, resulting in the occasional unfortunate serious pollution of our environment by these chemical substances. A study of the administrative management of these chemical substances has shown inadequacies, as has been revealed in the case of countermeasures against carcinogenic substances in the environment which have not been managed systematically. In view of this situation, the rapid introduction of the risk assessment-risk management process in Japan is proposed, as an administrative countermeasure against carcinogenic substances. Problems that need to be examined for accelerating the introduction of this process are: scientific development of risk assessment methodology, and a methodological arrangement of risk management process. As for the latter, the level of acceptable risk which determines "virtual safe dose" should be defined, and the role of cost-benefit analysis in risk management should be understood.